Ariel
by 2dragonkat
Summary: One year later, the events of Ariel are still weighing heavily on Jayne's mind, and he finds himself in the unexpected position of needing to apologize to clear his conscious. Jayne&Simon lemon and fluff.


Title: Ariel

Fandom: Firefly

Pairings: Jayne/Simon

Disclaimer: Joss Whedon is the man and I worship his godliness.

Summary: One year later, the events of Ariel are still weighing heavily on Jayne's mind, and he finds himself in the unexpected position of needing to apologize to clear his conscious. Jayne&Simon lemon and fluff.

AN: This was written for "The Lovely Angels Fiction Challenge #1" on the Aarinfantasy forum. The theme for the challenge was atonement. I didn't win anything though, cause Firefly isn't exactly the most popular fandom, especially Jayne&Simon. But it was still fun.

WC: 2,440

* * *

"_Don't be excludin' people, that's just rude."_

"_River, no –"_

"_Jesu –"_

"_It's deep –"_

"_Oh, god honey…"_

"_He's bleedin'…"_

"_River…"_

"_He looks better in red…"_

* * *

Jayne was a man of few morals. He had lived his life making his own rules, apologizing to no one and depending only on his gun. He was a man of little words and preferred it that way. He had planned to spend his entire life in this fashion.

But life is rather fickle…and things could change in a matter of moments.

That's what Serenity did to a whole lot of folks…Jayne Cobb included.

At first he fought the affects. Tried to keep everyone on the other side of his carefully built walls. He was rude, crude, and downright nasty when he felt like he was letting his tough exterior fall to these people. But he was fighting a losing battle…just like those Browncoats.

He thought it was lil' Kaylee that had undone him…and that was true at first. But it was someone else entirely who broke down his walls and made Jayne realize that even a man like him can fall in love.

* * *

_He liked pushing the doctor's buttons whenever he could. Jayne always felt a swell of satisfaction when Simon reacted to his taunts. Like now, as he spit to help sharpen his knife the Doc reacted like Jayne anticipated. All huffy and annoyed, a bright fire in his eyes._

_But Jayne felt something then he hadn't yet…or maybe this was the first time he acknowledged it. The Doc was getting him hard._

_How in the hell did that happen…_

* * *

"Oh Jayne…"

He loved hearing that voice moan his name. He always did everything he could to make sure it happened whenever they were in the privacy of their bunk.

He smirked, growling a bit as he hovered over the sweat shined body spread out like a delicacy on their bed. He let a hand trace over quivering muscles, eyes shining as he watched Goosebumps rise on the pale skin from the light sensation. He leaned his head down, sucking a pebbled nipple into his mouth, letting his teeth slowly graze back and forth over the puckered flesh. He let his tongue dip out and taste the skin, smiling as the moan from his lover flowed into him through his lips.

His hands reached down to stroke the soft flesh of the inside of the thighs wrapped around his waist. His mouth left his treat to shimmy up to the lips moaning his name over and over like a mantra. He let his own lips hover a bit, gently stroking the soft ones beneath his own before sealing the kiss firmly, drinking in his lover.

He shifted, not breaking the passionate kiss to meld his hips with his lover, letting their erections slide with one another deliciously. He rubbed their groins together, groaning deep in his chest as he felt a pleasurable twinge crawl up his spine. He wasn't going to last much longer.

* * *

_Jayne looked both ways as he approached the phone booth on the street. He was here a few minutes before the drop off so he decided he's make a call…to the local authorities._

_He swiped the phone card he had lifted off an oblivious business man distracted by talking on his ear piece. He then pressed the button to link him to the police, keeping his face steeled._

_He had to do this._

_That hundain of a doctor and his moon-brain sister were more trouble than they were worth…though they were worth enough that Jayne could take the money home to his Ma and his family could live without any more struggle._

_He stared impassively at the operator, grounding out he had information on some fugitives. He was passed on to a fat, cranky officer who looked like he hadn't ever done an honest day's work, who introduced himself as Agent McGinnis._

_He had to do this…because the Doc was stirring something in him that shouldn't ever be in a mercenary's heart._

* * *

He leaned over to his bedside table, grabbing a jar of lubricant he had gotten the last time the crew was planet side. He sat up, wolfishly grinning down at the man below him as he unscrewed the cap and dipped his fingers in, getting a palm full and coating his erection in the slick substance.

He groaned, never breaking eye contact with his lover. He put the jar away before reaching out for his man, pulling him up and into his embrace. His lover sat straddling his lap, smiling at him with the perfect blush painting his cheeks as he rubbed his equally perfect ass back and forth across Jayne's eager cock.

Strong arms wrapped around Jayne's shoulders as the man in his lap leaned up, raising an eyebrow in invitation. Jayne didn't hesitate as he wrapped one hand around his erection, holding it in place and the other hand gripped a bony hip tightly, guiding his lover down onto his eager body.

They groaned simultaneously as they came together for what always felt like their first time. Jayne leaned forward; fastening his lips onto the flesh above his lover's fluttering pulse, sucking harshly to distract himself from the pleasure as he was slowly sheathed in the hottest body he had ever had. His hips thrust up sharply as he was buried warm and deep in the man he fell in love with.

* * *

"_Gorramn freak's completely off her axel."_

"_I'm sorry about this. I don't know what she –"_

"_Shut it. I ain't talking to you.She's gotta go. Both of them's gotta go. Ariel's as good a place to leave them. Might even pick us up a reward for our troubles."_

"_No one's getting' left."_

"_She belongs in a bughouse. You don't pitch her off this boat right now I swear to you…"_

"_What? What do you swear, Jayne?"_

"_They don't get gone…you better start locking up your room at night. Next time lil' sister gets in a muderin' mood, might be you she comes calling on. Maybe Kaylee. Or Inara. You let 'em stay…we're gonna find out._

"_Finish your work, Doctor.This is my boat, and they're part of my crew. No one's getting left. Best you get used to that."_

"…_You owe me a shirt."_

* * *

Jayne was a man with no attachments except to his family he left behind to get money for. That's why he kept everyone he met at arm's length and only had sex with whores whose faces tend to blur when he mixed the situation with good hardy liquor.

No one ever got close until he came to Serenity. It seemed everyone on that crew made him think of the big family he kept close to his heart but had left behind him.

Kaylee was like his sweet niece Rebecca who thought the world of Jayne…she was about Kaylee's age as well, making the connection stronger. Book was like his Pa, a strong silent comforting presence who always said the right things. Wash was like his annoying brother Matty, sarcastic and always getting on Jayne's nerves…but he was still his brother, so Jayne cared for him. Mal was like his Uncle Jim, he's got secrets and such but he's a respectable man and dependable. And always good for a laugh at dinner time. Zoe was like his older sister Amy. She had been hurt real bad one summer when Jayne was still a boy. She had been raped and beaten by a gang of local boys who later Jayne and his brother had beaten up thoroughly. She was quiet ever since, even after she married her husband. Inara, Jayne hated to admit, was like his Ma. She was strong and independent and could keep a man in his place.

They only people who never fit into his analogy were the doc and his sis. But they, especially the doc, more than anyone else got under his skin and made Jayne feel things he thought he had shut down long ago.

Maybe that's why one night, months after the fugitives had joined the crew, an argument went too far and one moment they were trying to strangle each other in the infirmary and the next Jayne had his tongue halfway down Simon's throat and the doctor had his arms tight around the mercenary's shoulders, pulling him closer with every swipe of his tongue.

* * *

"_If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were ready to save some lives."_

"_Now all we need are a couple of patients."_

"_Corpses, actually. For this to work, River and I will have to be dead."_

"_I'm startin' to like this plan."_

* * *

Jayne fell onto his back, spreading out on the bed to watch Simon ride him like he was a stallion. He groaned as his balls slapped against the soft flesh of the doctor's backside, hands gripping bony hips hard, just holding on as Simon guided the course of their lovemaking for the night. He growled watching as Simon watched him with dark glittering eyes. The Doc lifted one hand, pinching at one of his nipples as the other reached down and began pleasuring himself with swift even strokes.

Jayne shivered at the sight along with the sensational feeling of the slick wall gripping his hard cock tight in a warm embrace. Simon knew he went weak in the knees when he did something so debauched like that, pleasuring himself in front of Jayne like it was the most natural thing in the world, even enjoying it himself.

Jayne wasn't going to last much longer at this rate. He was going to come…come hard. Just like he always did with Simon.

* * *

"_Jayne?"_

"_Yeah, yeah I got it."_

"_Are we going to have a problem?"_

"_I know what I gotta do."_

"_That's not what I'm talking about. Am I gonna have a problem with you and Simon?"_

"_That's up to him."_

* * *

The first time they called it a mistake. The second, they lost their good-decision making skills. The third they blamed on the sake. The fourth…Jayne took Simon back to his bunk and kept him there all night, and the rest was history.

Mal had held a gun in Jayne's face for ten minutes, interrogating him and seeking assurance that this situation would not turn out bad. He only lowered his gun when Simon reasoned they were both grown men and could make decisions for themselves...and that Mal was acting a bit jealous. Which had resulted in Mal punching them both in the jaws and walking away muttering. Everyone else was awkward around them for a spit of time but got over it. Lil' Kaylee was a little heartbroken but the girl had bounced back and was back to being Simon's best friend in no time.

That was four months ago and now Simon was sharing a bunk with him and they had even started going out on….dare he say it…dates when they were planet side. Jayne had sworn off whores when he found out Simon was very diverse in bed. The doctor was very versatile between the sheets and could make Jayne see stars at least once a night. So why the hell would he need some ruttin' whore when he had a sex fiend in his bed?

But there was always something in Jayne that felt uneasy, even in their blissful Wash&Zoe state of their relationship.

It wasn't until their ship passed by Ariel on route to trading ground that Jayne realized it was guilt and regret. He hadn't ever apologized…and now they were in a relationship that was based on two things, love and trust. The whole thing would fail if one was missing. And Jayne had to make sure that Simon trusted him, even after that stunt he had pulled on Ariel. And his first step to knowing was going to be to say sorry…something he rarely ever did.

* * *

_Why was he not surprised that he had been betrayed._

_His Ma had always told him the Alliance was not to be trusted. And what does he do. Set himself up to be pinched…along with the Doc and his crazy sis._

_He watched impassively as the Doc put up quite the fight against Agent McGinnis. The kid had balls, Jayne gave him that much. Not to mention a brain._

_A brain that had hatched one of the best heists Jayne has ever pulled with any crew, and what does he do? He fucks it up because he's scared what'll happen if Simon and his sister stay on the ship any longer…he scared what'll happen to the cold-blooded mercenary he has become._

* * *

Jayne lay quiet in bed, Simon curled up against him catching his breath. They were both covered in semen and sweat but Jayne had never felt more comfortable. Now was his moment.

"M'sorry Si," he whispered into the warm air.

"What are you apologizing about? I think you just proved your worth as my lover," Simon whispered, nuzzling into his chest like a cat.

"M'sorry bout Ariel," he let the statement hang, closing his eyes and hoping.

The air was filled with the thick silence of what that memory brought up. But Jayne waited. He had to do this. It was tearing him up inside not knowing whether Simon trusted him. It was tearing him up because he hated that he had nearly made a mistake that would have kept him from finding a love like this. It was tearing him up that he thought less of himself whenever he thought of his actions on that day.

"I forgive you Jayne."

And that one sentence stitched him back up just as perfectly as only the man in his arms could do. A soft kiss was pressed to his lips and he opened his eyes to the man before him. Finally getting that off his chest was an amazing feeling.

Atoning for one's sins left quite a feeling of relief…and horniness.

He rolled over and pinned the smiling doctor beneath him. Might as well prove that he, Jayne Cobb, was a man worth keeping around.

Again…

* * *

"_Okay! I'm sorry, all right?"_

"_Sorry? What for, Jayne? Thought you'd never do such a thing?"_

"_Money was real good – I got stupid. I'm sorry, okay? Be reasonable. Why you taking this so personal? It's not like I ratted you out to the Feds."_

"_But you did. You turn on any of my crew, you turn on me. And since that's a concept you can't seem to wrap your head around, means you got no place here…you did it to me, Jayne. And that's a fact."_

Review, review, review please.

TTFN


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